Nondiscrimination ordinance revisions are expected to pass

By Josh Baugh :
August 16, 2013
: Updated: August 17, 2013 1:32am

Andrea Moutria, left/center, and Alberto Barragan, right/center, get into place with signs for members of the Community Alliance for a United San Antonio to speak about the recording of District 9 City Councilwoman Elisa Chan's comments about homosexuality at City Hall in San Antonio on Friday, August 16, 2013.

Photo By Lisa Krantz/San Antonio Express-News

Daniel Graney, co-chair of Community Alliance for a United San Antonio, speaks about the recording of District 9 City Councilwoman Elisa Chan's comments about homosexuality at City Hall in San Antonio on Friday, August 16, 2013.

Photo By Lisa Krantz/San Antonio Express-News

Daniel Graney, co-chair of Community Alliance for a United San Antonio, speaks about the recording of District 9 City Councilwoman Elisa Chan's comments about homosexuality at City Hall in San Antonio on Friday, August 16, 2013.

Photo By Lisa Krantz/San Antonio Express-News

David Ewell speaks about the recording of District 9 City Councilwoman Elisa Chan's comments on homosexuality during the Community Alliance for a United San Antonio event at City Hall in San Antonio on Friday, August 16, 2013. Ewell and his partner of 30 years adopted a six-month-old boy from Cambodia who is now 12-years-old.

Photo By Lisa Krantz/San Antonio Express-News

Historic photographs of the business cover a table top at Starcke Furniture in downtown Seguin on Friday, August 16, 2013.

Photo By Lisa Krantz/San Antonio Express-News

Clara Rauch helps a customer shop for a recliner at Starcke Furniture in downtown Seguin on Friday, August 16, 2013.

Photo By Lisa Krantz/San Antonio Express-News

Lauryn Farris, a transgender woman, speaks with members of the Community Alliance for a United San Antonio about the recording of District 9 City Councilwoman Elisa Chan's comments on homosexuality at City Hall in San Antonio on Friday, August 16, 2013. Farris is the president of the San Antonio Gender Association and serves on the board of the Transgender Education Network of Texas.

Photo By Lisa Krantz/San Antonio Express-News

Brothers Hilmar Starcke III, left, and Franck Starcke, seen Friday, August 16, 2013, run their family's business, Starcke Furniture, in downtown Seguin. Started in 1910 as Weisskokopf & Starcke, Hilmar Starcke took sole control of the business in 1912 and in 1915 had the building built for the furniture store's current location.

District 8 Councilman Ron Nirenberg on Friday declared his support for the city's proposed nondiscrimination ordinance in the wake of homophobic comments made by his District 9 colleague, Elisa Chan.

Nirenberg's support for updating city ordinances to include protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity effectively solidifies the chances of passage by the full council. Approval of the ordinance would take at least six supporting votes.

Councilwomen Ivy Taylor and Rebecca Viagran and Councilman Cris Medina all have condemned discrimination but have yet to take public positions on the ordinance. Chan and Carlton Soules are expected to vote against the measure.

Nirenberg has remained silent, in part, because he encourages robust public debate. But when anti-gay comments made by Chan were publicized Friday, council members quickly spoke out against her language that was recorded during a District 9 staff meeting.

The councilman condemned the remarks.

“In a larger sense, the ordinance itself forces us to look within ourselves, and consider at what price we are willing to reaffirm the founding principle of our democracy: that in the eyes of the law, all people are created equal,” he said.

Nirenberg's chief of staff, Jeff Bazan, once served as Chan's chief of policy and participated in the controversial conversation.

“The tape recording made of Councilwoman Elisa Chan's staff meeting revealed some very ignorant and disturbing comments, some of them made by Jeff Bazan, who has since become a member of my staff,” Nirenberg said.

“I have spoken with Jeff, and he has apologized for those statements, which he says do not reflect his personal feelings,” the councilman continued. “I believe him to be sincere. I also met with my entire staff, letting them know that those comments do not reflect my views and they are unacceptable for any member of my team. Further, Jeff would not have been hired if I thought him to be the person I heard on the tape.”

Bazan has been placed on “indefinite administrative leave,” effective immediately.

“I hope that he will take the time to reflect and to heal. Our community must now engage in similar reflection over the issues that divide us,” Nirenberg said. “I believe that the successful passage of the nondiscrimination ordinance will be an important step in that process.”

Nirenberg made his position public a couple of hours before a local LGBT advocacy group called on Chan to resign. Members of the group explained the “hate” they've experienced in San Antonio and implored the council to approve the added nondiscrimination measures.

“Hate has no place in San Antonio,” Nirenberg said. “We cannot turn our backs on the existing divisions that have revealed themselves.”